(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly, more especially a prescription pad assembly as well as to a system of monitoring and controlling the dispensing of samples of prescription pharmaceuticals.
(ii) Description of Prior Art
Certain pharmaceuticals are only available for purchase with a written prescription from a physician. In such case, the physician writes out a prescription, sometimes known as an Rx, for an appropriate pharmaceutical for the patient, the patient takes the prescription to a pharmacist who dispenses the pharmaceutical in accordance with the prescription and obtains payment from the patient.
In the marketing and promotion of pharmaceuticals it is a common practice for pharmaceutical corporations to provide physicians with sample packages of their pharmaceutical products. The physicians then provide their patients with such samples free of charge, whereby a determination can be made by the physician as to whether or not the pharmaceutical is suitable for the needs of the individual patient, without the patient incurring the expense of purchasing the product. At the same time the physician develops goodwill with the patient since the patient s not faced with purchasing a product which may prove unsatisfactory for his particular needs.
The practice is advantageous for the pharmaceutical company since the physician is more likely to prescribe a pharmaceutical which he has been able to determine is satisfactory for the particular needs of his patient, by an initial free sample.
The benefits are such that the practice of providing free samples is wide spread. There are, however, a number of disadvantages in the existing practice.
For the pharmaceutical company there are the disadvantages associated with the expense of producing and distributing small sample packages, the expense of which is incurred whether or not the physician actually uses them. The pharmaceutical company has no control over the manner in which the physician uses the samples, for example, a physician might provide a patient with a sufficient amount of free samples that the patient's needs are fully met without purchasing product, or perhaps with expired product which is no longer effective.
The number and geographical distribution of physicians makes it almost impossible to provide all physicians with a supply of samples and ensure that supplies are replenished as needed.
There is no ready means for the pharmaceutical company to determine if its program of free samples is effective in producing sales.
For the physician there are the disadvantages associated with the need to safely store a wide variety of free samples while keeping them readily accessible for patients. In addition the physician has some responsibility to ensure that he does not maintain expired product. These factors present additional time consuming administration problems for busy physicians.
The present invention seeks to overcome disadvantages associated with the conventional practice as hereinbefore described.
It is an object of this invention to provide a system for monitoring and controlling the dispensing of prescription pharmaceuticals whereby a physician prescribes a free sample which is dispensed by a pharmacist.
Particular objects of the invention include such a system which avoids the need for manufacture and distribution of small sample packages, and expense of samples which are not administered, avoids the need for the physician to maintain or store any supplies of samples, which makes efficient and effective use of supplies of the pharmaceutical held by the pharmacist in the provision of free samples, which avoids abuse of the free sample program by over-sampling, avoids the problem of expired product in the possession of the physician, and facilitates assessment of the effectiveness of the free sample program in generating sales.
It is another object of the invention to provide an assembly especially suited for the system of the invention.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an assembly facilitating ready and controlled dispensing of a sample dosage of a prescription pharmaceutical.